1 down is topical given that as I type this counting is still going on for the local elections. Lots of talk about swinging and most, like Jenrick, swinging to the right as if they are on an out of control anticlockwise merry-go-round. So many defective, sorry defecting, ex-Cons like him. I’ll say no more here – it’s all too depressing.
Anyway another great crossword from our one-eyed friend. I notice he will soon be starring in Christopher Nolan’s new blockbuster epic: “The Odyssey” trailer
Private Eye/Cyclops
Private Eye (Cyclops / 828) Harsh Hyena
I found this a bit tougher to get into than previous outings, but once I got going the answers and parsings materialised fairly quickly – sometimes even in the opposite order. I second-guessed myself a bit with 26d especially the parsing but now I’ve written it out I think it’s a nice clue/device.
Private Eye ( Cyclops / 827 ) Uninvited Oomph
One of those where the last one in was the first one read. This happens all too often.
Does Cyclops make the clue to 1 Across tougher than the rest? I doubt it.
It must be that the little grey cells need more warming up before – so I’d better do another crossword before attempting this one…
… but then what if I have the same trouble with that. Oh dear.
Private Eye (Cyclops / 826) Union Flag Lover
In my last turn blogging the Private Eye crossword I was lamenting the omission of a certain Man Formerly Titled As Prince. While the news cycle is currently focussed elsewhere, Mr M-W did make an appearance this time which certainly gave me a chuckle.
Private Eye ( Cyclops / 825 ) Arrogant Blight
A mild Eye puzzle. Nothing terribly hard, but some lovely surface readings to the clues as usual.
Private Eye (Cyclops / 824) Topless Harem
When I solved this I expected to be complaining here about the lack of references to a certain recently-arrested “man in his sixties from Norfolk”, but indeed a week is a long time in politics – in that time Peter Mandelson, the Prince of Darkness himself has also been assisting the police with their enquiries.
Private Eye (Cyclops / 823) Nerdy Outsider
I really should not refer to Liz Truss as a nerd. It gives us nerds a bad name.
Private Eye (Cyclops / 822) Ocelot Orgasms
As mc_rapper67 noted in his Xmas Special post, I have agreed to take over his slot blogging alternate Private Eye Cyclops puzzles. I’m a relative novice at solving crosswords and even more so blogging them, so please have empathy and use polite forms of address.
Private Eye (Cyclops / 821) Medicinal Camembert
If camembert cost about £200 per kilo and had the reputation that you lost weight after eating it, it would become highly sought after and anyone who bought it would certainly lose weight.
Otherwise they wouldn’t be getting their money’s worth.
Cyclops 820 – 2025 Xmas Special
And so this is Christmas, and what have you solved?…another year over, a new Cyclops Xmas jumbo special just begun…
Private Eye (Cyclops / 819) *Redacted redacted*
I normally make a headline for the Eye blog using a couple of the answers from the puzzle but I have redacted them this time.
Not because they are tremendously rude – it’s an Eye puzzle so anything may appear – but because some of you reading this might not have tackled the puzzle yet. You might not have realised the current issue very unusually is only for 1 week instead of the usual fortnight.
If so, go away and try this puzzle before coming back here. Link https://www.private-eye.co.uk/crossword
Cyclops 818 – Old-guard Taxability
Cyclops has a swipe at all corners of the political spectrum this fortnight, and also finds time for a little self-reflection…
Private Eye (Cyclops / 817) Economic Sponsorship
Like many Eye crosswords of late I found this one no walk-over.
Private Eye (Cyclops/815) Rabid Hobnob
I must have been having a bad solving day. It took three goes at the puzzle to finish.